Pacquiao Says Marquez Was No Stronger Than Before

By Miguel Rivera

Former eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO) says he didn't feel a big difference in the punching power of Juan Manuel Marquez, who bulked up with muscle for this past Saturday's fourth fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez knocked Pacquiao down in the third and then finished him with a single right hand with only a second remaining in the sixth round.

Pacquiao praises Marquez for landing a good shot in the third and says he never saw the right hand, in the sixth round, coming. He said "no" when asked if there was a significant difference in the punching power of his Mexican rival.

"I didn't take enough precaution against an opponent who is not easy as demonstrated in the 42 rounds we've fought since 2004. I did my best in the ring, but this is the sport of boxing. This is sport. I thought I was in control, and I hit him several times with powerful punches in the final two rounds, but the final punch [that ended the fight] was something I wasn't looking for and I never saw it coming. [In the third round] it was a good punch, but I was able to recover without problems and regain control of the fight. The second shot, I just didn't expect it and I didn't see it," Pacquiao said.